Eltas edwards



. E. EDWARDS.

(No Modgl.)

VELOGIPEDE.

No. 256,303. Pa tented Apr. 11,1882.

I ATTORNEYS.

U TED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELIAS EDWARDS, OF REMUS, MISSISSIPPI.

NELOCIPEDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 256,303, dated April 11, 1882,

' Application filed July 11, 1881. (No model.)

- tion with the drawings, and then pointed out in the claims. I

Figure 1 is a side elevation of myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a sec tion taken on the linear a; of Fig. 2; and Fig.4 is a detail view, showing my improved means for preventing slipping of the wheels.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondingparts."

'Upon the axles A and A are placed the springs B B and B, and upon the springs are placed the cross-bars O U, and upon and near the ends of these cross-bars are placed the ends of the upwardly curved parallel side pieces, I) D, which extend beyond the crossbars 0 O, and areheld together at their forward ends by the oross-piece E.. In this crosspiece E, and in that portion of the reach F which extends in front of the forward axle, A,

is jonrnaled the vertical post H, to which is secured a short distance above the reach the segment-rack h, which engages with the circular rack h, secured on the upper side of the forward axle.

To the upper end of the post H, above the cross-piece E, is secured the long arm Lwhich reaches back to the rider, and is adapted to be moved from side to side for guiding the vehicle by the knees of the rider; and in order that the normal position of the forward axle 40 will be such as to cause the vehicle to move in a straight course, I provide the top of the post H with the flat spring 0, the ends of which pass between the pins 0 0 upon the top of the cross-piece E.

' 5 The hubs of the rear wheels, K K, are exthe rider. The upward movement of these ,le- I vers L L is produced by the coiled springs n 1:,

attached to the forward ends of the levers and to the side pieces, D D, above, as shown. The. levers L L are operated by the hands of the rider by. means of the angle-levers J J, which are pivoted to the side pieces, D D, and connected with the upper ends of thelevers L L by the links jj. By this arrangement of the propelling mechanism it will be understood that the vehicle may be propelled either by the hands alone, or by the feet alone, or by both hands and feet, and that the two forces may be applied alternately or simultaneously, as best suits the case and convenience of the rider.

In order to propel the vehicle backward, I

provide the outside of thelevers L L with the spring-actuated pawls f f, (shown clearly in Fig. 3,) which are adapted to en-gagewith the ratchet-wheels k k, and which will cause the powerput upon the hand-leversJ J to be applied to the rear wheels of the vehicle so as to. turn them in a reverse direction. The pawls f f are held outof engagementwith the ratchet-wheels k 70" while going forward by the pivoted stops 0 0, and while going backward the pawls i and t t" are held out of engagement with the ratchet-wheels 7c is by the pivoted stops (1 d and d d, (shown in Fig. 3,) all of which stops are operated by suitable rods in reach ofthe driver.

The construction of the wheels which I pro- 0 pose to use, which will prevent slipping of the wheels under all circumstances, is shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Upon the inside of each spoke of the wheels are secured the sleeves a a, through which the rodsb I) pass. The lower 5 ends of these rods are bent at an angle and pass through the cam-grooves g 9, formed in the annular plate G, which plate is placed upon the hub of the wheel, andis adapted to be partially rotated upon thehub by the rod g (shown me in Fig. l) for forcing the rods out to the position shown in Fig. 4 to engage with the ground or to withdraw them to the position shown in Fig. 3, inside the peripheries of the wheels.

In aslot made through the reach F is pivoted the lever P, which is connected by the linkp to the brake-bar R, which is suspended from the reach F, and the lever P is placed convenient to the seat Q, so that the rider may easily operate the brake with his foot.

In order to regulate the rapidity and force with which the vehicle may be run, I provide the levers L L with the series of holes a a, into which the ends of the linkj may bebolted toshortenorincreasc thelengthoftheleverage.

ThonghI have shown my invention applied to a vehicle built upon a small scale to be run by a person, I wish itunderstood that it may be applied to vehicles ofa size adapted to carry asmall engine as its motive power, or as a means of supporting and moving large portable engines and the shafting, pulleys, and fly wheels necessary to attach the same to thrashing or other machinery, and not depart from the spirit of my invention.

In some instances Iproposc to provide a roughened plate to be attached upon the wheels to prevent slipping, which plates can be attached and removed when desired.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. The leversL Land theindependent levers L L, joiirnaled upon the hubs, and the ratchetwheels k is, secured upon the hubs,' in combination with the angle-levers J J, linksjj, and the crossbar A, whereby the levers may be operated by the hands and feet of the rider, substantially as specified.

2. The annular ring G, formed with the camslots 9, in combination with the sliding rods 0 12, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

ELIAS EDWARDS. Witnesses:

J. H. CLEVELAND, W. L. JOHNSON. 

